


The Call

by CathrineWarrington (Fintastica)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Altonaux, Character Death, Gen, I own this whole thing mostly, Multi, Original Character(s), Prophecy, Quests, Terrarine, also apparantly a Lish simp club is needed, what is it with minor characters and big fanclubs anyways
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29075880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fintastica/pseuds/CathrineWarrington
Summary: When your whole planet is basically a nuke zone, what should you do?A. Live like it's the apocalypse (it kind of is)B. Try to find a way to get rid of the threator C. Have 12 teenagers run off on a suicide missionObviously certain people read too much and hence this whole thing happened. Grown adults need to stop sending children on quests, because seriously someone's going to die here.
Relationships: Mateo Xandori/Connie Maticks, Nicote Marker/Ariana Quarters
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Worldbuilding and Background Info

**Author's Note:**

> I, FIn, own this whole thing. Most of it, anyways. I don't really own Aria....long story behind that but I promise I have permission to use her.

Info and worldbuilding:because things will get confusing. You 100% have to read to understand. **All questions about this story can be asked here :)**

** Element name | Primary color scheme | General description of people who typical use that element, though it's not always accurate. **

Light = White | Light-users tend to be rather cheerful folk, generally quite friendly. They're the ones keeping up morale and without them, life would be rather dull. Tend to have very light complexions and features.  
Spirit = Purple | The thinkers- due to their unique abilities relating to the mind, Spirit elementals gain much insight into the world around them. Tend to have multicolored hair in varying colors, though it's usually a very light color. The same goes for their eyes, though their skin color is generally quite normal.  
Air = Pink | Fierce and bold, AIr elementals can be unpredictable like the wind they manipulate. However they can also be the nicest people on earth. They tend to have light hair and complexions and prefer lighter clothing in all weather.  
Plasma = Orange | To heal or to harm is the decision every Plasma elemental makes. To harm is to be deadly, to heal is to thrive greatly. Typically of a darker coloring, these elementalists are sometimes described as being some of the most handsome/beautiful folk.  
Water = Blue | The water connects all and Water elementals are the same, bridging the gaps between others. Water elementals tend to have lighter skin with darker hair or darker skin with lighter hair, wearing clothes made to be compatible with being completely drenched in water.  
Metal = Brown | Metal is manipulatable and Metal elementals tend to be creative folk who work to make life better for others, though you should probably remind them that they're important too. Most Metal elementals have brown hair and medium or dark complexions, though some lean towards reds or blond. Their prefered attire can be rather thick sometimes but generally is customized.  
Earth = Green | The earth is life and Earth elementalists tend to take this as an opportunity to take every opportunity they can. Although lately they've been called "treehuggers" more often then not... Earth elementalists often "resemble nature", as some put it, choosing to add flowers into their hair or wear a tunic made with woven grasses.  
Lightning = Yellow | Lightning draws attention and so do users of the power of lightning. Many of them hav ebecome politicians, commentators, or other positions where havign a loud voice and crackling hair helps. Their clothing is made to hndle electricity and not conduct it, with many of them having darker skin tones and varying shades of hair color. However, all Lightning elementalists have golden eyes.  
Fire = Red | Fire elementals can be bold and daring or sweet and kind. And oddly enough, they seem to be a tad luckier then most... Fire elementalists are on the lighter side of the color wheel, almost all having hair that is golden to red in color. It is said that flames dance in their eyes. Their clothes are made to handle the heat- no one wants someone to accidently burn off their clothes in public after all.  
Poison = Gray | Everyone knows that poison is dangerous and that's true with many Poison elementalists. A good chunk of criminals have connectiosn with these folk or are one themselves, so beware those dark alleys...  
Dark = Black | Many think the darkness is scary, dangerous, almost or as bad as the Poison element. But in truth? Dark elementals are visionaries. They go where no other dares to go. And they'll do it in style, too.  
Mystery = Silver | There's always that one person who stands out from the crowd and the Mystery elementals are no different. They could be anyone, be doing anything, have any amount of strange ability. And no two of them are ever exactly alike.

** Characters **

Light: Newtmore "Newt" Marker | 15 | Telepathy | Human  
Spirit: Reni(ta) Loman | 15 | Soulsearch | Eldwarf (Elf-dwarf hybrid)  
Air: Constantina "Connie" Maticks | 16 | Hover | Faelf (fairy-elf hybrid)  
Plasma: Jon Powell | 12 | Healing Poison Spikes | Huelf (Human-elf hybrid)  
Water: Tracey Salvador | 17 | Siren's Song | Huiren (Human-siren hybrid)  
Metal: Kendrick "Ken" Cresthearse | 14 | Creation | Dwarf  
Earth: Mikal LIlybud | 16 | Earthshifting | Human  
Lightning:Arlena Octavia | 15 | Bolt | Duvaman (dwarf-human hybrid)  
Fire: Karianne "Kari" Cresthearse | 14 | Flamespirit | Dwarf  
Poison: Meinke Kilplolar | 14 | Witherrose | Human  
Dark: Mateo Xandori | 16 | Shadow Shield | Elf  
Mystery: Olivirra "Livvy" Vendale | 14 | Illusion | Elf  
Nicote Marke | 15 | Dark | Shadowrealm (teleportation) | Huelf  
Aria Quarters | 16 | Light | LightAura | Huelf  
Andre "Inno" Everrest | 15 | Fire | Giftless | Hupie  
Lish Allen | 14 | Spirit | Inked | Duvaman


	2. Introduction (by Cathrine Warrington)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cathy, the accidental personification of the author, tries to explain things. Awkwardly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this count as me making fanfic of a friend's OC if their OC is a prominent feature in my story?

What is darkness?

Well, it depends.

For some people, “darkness” is the night, when the sun doesn’t shine, when the moon and stars are visible. For some, “darkness” is when there are no lights, or when one simply cannot see.

But for those of us who aren’t from Earth….it’s different.

For us, “darkness” is something that destroys. An invisible, yet visible, force that Corrupts everything in its wake. Our Darkness is something to be feared, no matter who you are. And woe be to those who dare to venture into it.

For the last 50 years, it has covered my planet, the place I called home for 8 years. It spread, faster and faster, wiping out whole countries, generations, families, everything.

Except for one country: Bildernia. But even Bildernia, protected by one of the most powerful spells known to creaturekind, came close to falling to the Darkness once or twice.

And if it were not for the mysterious barrier that surrounds the city, nothing would be left.

But this is not quite a story of Bildernia. It is, in fact, a story of Altonauxia, Bildernia’s sister country, and the heroes who come from both lands and how they pushed back the Darkness.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. To understand the story of the Called, we must go back, back to when the world was covered in Darkness….


	3. Beginings (Arlena)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Of course it started with the one thing that no one really likes doing: cleaning stuff up." -Mateo

It was school break and for Arlena Octavia, that meant one thing: adventure.

She’d been spending the last few days exploring every inch of the house the she, her parents, annd her brother had recently moved to from their small apartment. When the family had bought the house, it had come with rooms full of stuff no one had used in years. For Arlena’s mother, that meant a lot of work cleaning.

But Arlena saw things differently.

Living in Bildernia, there wasn’t much one could do. The Darkness outside clouded the sky, blocking out most of the sunlight. Few people walked around just for sheer enjoyment, the air was just simply too thick to breathe normally. Most teens didn’t exactly care to go out into the smog and risk getting stuck wherever they were because of the thick black Darkness that covered the land at night, unless there was a good reason to go out.

So exploring her new home was something Arlena could occupy herself with. Especially since her brother, Arnold, wasn’t really the kind of person who liked to play board games all day. 

It was already the third day of break and Arlena had explored everywhere except for one place: the attic. She hadn’t found any treasure, unless spiderwebs and dead rats counted as treasure, but she just knew she would find something in the old attic. That was where people found treasures in a lot of books she’d read. It was always the attic, the basement, or inside the walls.

She’d already checked the basement and most of the walls, which left the attic. If there was treasure in here, it was in there.

Arlena had already gotten the ladder down from the attic trapdoor. Now she lighted her lantern and climbed up.

Raising the lantern above her head, she could see some ways into the darkness. The air was a little stuffier here, but she didn’t mind too much abotu that. THere were, however, plenty of spiders and insects, as well as a wide variety of spider webs covering nearly everything.

Arlena took one look around and went back down to get some cleaning supplies. No point in wasting time digging around when she could kill two birds with one stone and do a little housekeeping while she searched.

* *

Several hours laters, a good part of the attic was now free of cobwebs and Arlena had already discovered several interesting things. 

There was the old spear that, when she brought it into the light, almost blinded her by reflecting said light into her eyes. There was the box of old photographs, most grainy and blurred from its time in the attic as well as age. There was the rocking chair that still held a stuffed teddy bear, with a plaid bow around its neck.

And then she found the journal.

The old, leather-bound book had been hiding under a large pile of dust-and-griime-filled pillows, which might have been why there wasn’t a single bit of dust on it. Arlena had picked up the whole pile and was about to take it down to trash when the journal fell open onto the floor. 

She stared at it for a minute, then put down the old pillows and picked up the book. There was no name on the cover, only a hand-drawn image of a flower on the cover. Inside, there were a number of drawings, field notes, and journal entries.

In short, it looked like the work of a Spirit element.

Arlena flipped through the rest of the journal. Occasionally the book’s author would write something in code or in the ancient language of Altonauxian, something Arlena only knew of from the little they’d taught in school. But never was there any mention of a name that stood out as that of the author. Or if there was, it wasn’t obvious at first glance.

Now this was most definitely interesting. Arlena almost immediately jumped up and ran downstairs and out the door, only pausing to tell her mother where she was heading, grab a jacket and pick up a small bag to protect the journal from the biting strands of magical energy that often were present in Bildernia’s air.

The girl hurried down the cracked sidewalks, squinting to read the various street signs on each corner, until she finally found the street she wanted and made a turn. Counting the houses, she stopped in front of a fairly small brown house, nestled in between a much larger blue house and the fenced that lined the property of a wealthy Altonauxian, one of the last to escape the now-non existent country before its demise.

Arlena, however, took no notice of the property and instead focused her sights on the small brown house in front of here. The yard was, for the most part, neat and tidy, with decorative rocks instead of grass Only the occasional dead leaf showed. A sprawling oak tree stood in the middle, and though many of its leaves were browned or grayed, some green could still be seen.

Arlena opened the gate and walked up the cement path that led to the front door, a single mahogany piece of wood hand carved with various designs. She knocked thrice, then waited.

And waited.

For a very, very, long time.

Well, in truth it was really only a few minutes-a few minutes that seemed like eternity to the girl who did not care to get caught in the particularly large burst of magical energy, known as Glimmer, coming her way.

Luckily the door opened before then and she practically leapt into the house, slamming the door shut for the boy who’d opened it in the first place.

She also knocked him over in her haste.

“Ow. Could you please get off me? You’re physically 10 pounds heavier then I am and your weight will completely flatten me in roughly three hours.” 

Arlena rolled her eyes and got up. “Sorry Newt.” She apologized, holding out a hand. “I was in a rush.”

“To come here. Hallway across the city.” Newt took the hand and got up, adjusting his glasses as he did so. 

“Well. Yes. Because...well, could we actually talk in the library?” She glanced around the hall, which, although looked empty, was definitely not soundproof. “I don’t want anyone listening in.” She said quietly.

Newt gave her a weird look, though that something he usually did anyways with his thick glasses perched the way they were on his face. “This better be good, then. Come on.”

* *  
The Marker family was a secretive lot.

That was what everyone said, anyways. And to tell the truth, Arlena agreed.

They liked to stay out of the public eye, quietly running their catering business from inside their home. They rarely attended mass gatherings or hosted large events of any kind. Newt, his siblings, and his cousins all studied at home. In fact, it was a wonder anyone knew who they were. 

Then again, they had prestige. Newt’s grandfather had fought in the Great War. Nearly everyone in Newt’s family had a Gift, and most of those Gifts were the good kind. 

And the best part? They knew stuff that most people didn’t know about-things from the past. Especially about places that weren’t necessarily Bildernian in nature.

The duo sat at one of the few tables in the house’s large library, the journal between them. Newt gingerly turned the pages, as if touching some ancient text.

“So you said you found this in your attic?” He asked incredulously. 

“Yeah. And I don’t read Altonauxian. But you do.”

“A little. Not much. But enough to get the point.” Newt turned another page. “There’s….so much in here. A lot of stuff that sounds like something my grandfather would tell me and the others about. Dragons, fairies, faeries, sprites, there’s even a sketch of a bird.”

“A real bird? One actually flying?” Arlena leaned across the table and stared at the small sketch that was done in the corner of a page. “That I’d love to see one day. The ones at the arboretum rarely even flap their wings.”

“Definitely this was written back when this stuff was common. Or whoever wrote it lived before the Darkness took over.”

Arlena swallowed. “Before the Darkness took over….? Then how did it get into my attic?”

“I mean your house was built at the same time mine was-”

“I meant my new house. The one halfway across town.” 

Newt’s cheeks reddened slightly. “Right. Um, I really don’t know...I’d have to look into it….”

Arlena stood up, straightening her tunic. “Great. But you’ll have to go to the library alone.”

“And why is that?” 

Arlena rolled her eyes at the slightly-idiotic boy in front of her. “Because, Newt Marker, I am a lightning elementalist Gifted who can start a fire with her fingers who does not yet own a pair of repressive gloves. And if you haven’t heard, due to recent incidents, anyone with a power that could potentially ruin the books like fire and water elementalists needs to take precautions before entering.”

“...Oh. Right.” The pale blond grimaced. “That rule.”

Arlena nodded. “Yes. The most annoying but practical rule in existence. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go home and finish cleaning an attic.”


End file.
